Piper & Antony cruise on the Murray

13 Jul 2017

by Golf Victoria

A full field of 88 eager juniors teed off today on the beautiful Murray course at Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club in chase of the 2017 Stuart Appleby titles. Now into its fifth year, the event has continually gathered momentum and provides the ideal setting to wrap up a busy school holiday period and escape the cold winter in Melbourne.

Conditions were conducive for low scoring with temperatures cool early on but with the sun shining. The course was presented in brilliant fashion with the greens rolling true and relatively slick too.

After capturing victory in this event two years ago in sensational fashion, Antony Majstorovic is once again poised at the top of the leader board after an opening round 70. The Victoria member made the most of the calm conditions cruising to a one under par front nine of 35. Two birdies coupled with one bogey on his inward nine duplicated his front side of 35 for a stellar two under-par.

After a strong performance in Queensland a couple of weeks back, Toby Walker trails the 2015 champion by a mere shot after his round of one under-par 71 along with Wodonga’s Daniel Gill. Keiran Vogels looked likely to steal the lead from Majstorovic as he stood on the 18th tee at three under-par but a but a double bogey on the final hole meant he would need to settle with 71.

Huntingdale’s Piper Stubbs will sleep well with a considerable lead in girls section after signing for a stellar round of one under par 71. Stubbs has found some solid form of late dominating the 2017 SSV Junior Secondary Schools with a round of 68 at Gardiners Run to take home the title. Stubbs takes a four shot buffer into tomorrow’s final round over last year’s defending champion Steffi Vogel. With poor weather expected tomorrow morning any lead may prove critical.

It is a log jam in the overall nett section with six players currently tied at two better than their handicaps. Aaron Tran, Ben Wood, Angus Webb, Valentin Rodriguez, Kieran Vogels and Piper Stubbs all carded rounds of 70 nett.

While the older players were battling it out in the 36-hole section, a group of players contested in the Stuart Appleby Rookie Series event on the Executive course. Rookie Sam Fedmowski took home the U9 boys title while Lucas McDonald had a solid round of 43 to walk home with the U12 boy’s title.

Portia Hall was too good in the U12 girls section with a round of 46 and Aleisha Hannam-Lewis walked away with the handicap prize following a score of 31. Sydney Bayerle was too good in the U9 girls with a round of 47.

Players will move to the Lake course tomorrow morning for the second and final round.